The culturalization and emotionalization of citizenship

‘Protecting our culture’ has become a common code in Western Europe to deny immigrants full citizenship. The latter is not only understood here as legal rights that come with full status in a polity, but also being recognized symbolically and emotionally as co-citizens. Compared to the 1990s, it became increasingly difficult from the early 2000s onwards for immigrants to acquire this ‘full’ status. This protectionism is based on a static and essentialized understanding of culture as well as the idea of citizenship that has culture at its core. This chapter begins with a historical overview of the development of citizenship. Then, the discussion turns to how the culturalization and emotionalization of citizenship can be determined. This helps to depict its modern manifestations and illustrate the subject, including its varying appearances and practical consequences, on the base of several case studies.